USPS Readies for Busiest Day of Year

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- If you have to head to the post office on Monday, you may want to leave yourself a little extra time as it's expected to be the busiest day of the year for the U.S. Postal Service.

The USPS calls Dec. 16 its "Peak Mailing Day" for cards, letters and packages, and anticipates processing 607 million pieces that day. That compares to the rest of the holiday season, when the agency processes 545 million pieces of mail per day.

On Wednesday, the Postal Service says it will deliver the most holiday letters and cards, while Thursday will be its busiest day for delivering packages.

To ensure your mail gets to its intended destination in time for the holidays, click HERE to see the USPS' holiday shipping deadlines.